Railway car



FIG. `l

Aug. 15, 1961 s. F. UDSTAD 2,996,020

RAILWAY CAR Filed Oct. 2, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

"ji l l J v JL I -1 J 1 L\J INVEN-roR IGVALD F. UDSTAD BY M WTTORNEY S,F. UDSTAD Aug. 15, 1961 RAILWAY CAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1959FIG.

S. F. UDSTAD Aug. 15, 1961 RAILWAY CAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed OCT.. 2,1959 INVENTOR SIGVALD E UDSTAD BY M MORNEY Aug. 15, 1961 s. F. uDsTAD2996020 RAILWAY CAR Filed Oct. 2, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l L 2 25C im]Z50-1 38 IH!"A lllhA Imh- ||||||||H- 3); so

INVENTOR SIGVALD E U DSTAD ATTORNEY Allg. 15, s F UDSTAD RAILWAY CARFiled Oct. 2, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 9

INVENTOR SIGVALD E UDSTAD MMO/5%@ United States Patent iiice PatentedAug. 15, 1961 2,996,020 RAILWAY CAR Sigvald F. Udstad, Summit, NJ.,assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporationof New Jersey Filed Oct. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 844,104 12 Claims. (Cl. 10S-367) This invention relates to railway cars for transporting automobilebodies or other large or heavy equipment and more particularly to such-a car Where lading bearing sides are removable and can be utilized asautomobile body skids or lading pallets during loading and unloadingoperations. More specifically, the invention relates to a center sillcarrying car wherein the roof is directly supported by the center sill,the extreme sides of the underframe carry the weight of the lading andwherein means are provided lfor transmitting the weight of the lading tothe center sill to relieve the underframe sides and for dissipating thetorsion loads in the car fname through the center sill withoutoverstraining the car underframe.

The objects of the invention include the provision of a railway carcapable of transporting automobile bodies land the like with theirlongitudinal axes vertically oriented to utilize as much space in thecar as possible. Notwithstanding this vertical posture of the lading itis an object of the invention to provide such 'a car with bodymeasurements well within the approved limit clearances of theAssociation of American Railroads for interchange service. Other`advantages of the car of the invention include roof and side wallprotection against weather damage to lading yet quick and easy access tothe lading on either side of the car throughout its length.

Further advantages of the invention will be seen when viewed in thelight of the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In carrying out the objects of the invention, there is provided a carhaving a longitudinally disposed centrally positioned center sill girderstructure. The cross-ties, connected at their ends by the side sills,are supported by and depend from the undersurface of the center sillbetween the trucks in the central zone of the car to provide extravertical lading space. The center sill girder structure extends upwardlyto support the car roof and removable lading bearing side wall sectionsare provided. In a preferred embodiment, diagonal truss membersconnecting the center sill girder and the low lying side sills transmitthe lading load from the sides of the car to the center sill structureand also alleviate longitudinal torsion lo-ads in the underframe bydirecting them to the center sill structure.

In the accompanying drawings:

vFIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the center sill carrying railway car ofthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan view sketch of the car of FIGURE lshowing the .relative positions of a plurality of automobile bodiesbeing transported therein;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

Y FIGURE 3a is a blown up View of the lower right hand corner of FIGURE3 showing the support connection of the removable side wall section andthe side sill of the car;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the iine 4 4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken a long the line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken -along the line 7 7 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 8 is an end view partly broken away of the car of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 9 is a section taken along the line 9 9 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE l shows a railway car 10 supported on rails 111 by trucks 12. Inthe end zones of the car, indicated by bracket A, removable ladingsupporting side wall sections 13a are supported on side sills 114 whichare normally disposed -above the uppermost plane of the truck wheels.These end zone side wall sections are disposed with their longitudinalaxes lying in Ia horizontal plane. The end posts 15 at each end of thecar comect the sides of the end walls and, together with the roof sideplate Z-member 16 and the iirst side post 17a in yfrom the end, form theupper and side framing members of stationary portions 18 of the carsides. The lower edge of each of these portions defines the top marginof the removable side wall openings at the ends of the car on eitherside thereof.

In the central zone of the car between the trucks, removable ladingsupporting side -wall sections 13 are supported on lowered side sills 19and have their longitudinal axes extending vertically. The removableside wall openings extend between the side posts 17 of the car and fromthe lowered side sill 19 to the roof side plate Z-member 16.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the side post T-members 17 connect at theirupper end to the undersurface of the Z-shaped side plate y16 'and arebent inwardly at their lower ends for connection within the angle of thelowered side sill 19 on either side of the car and are utilized more aswall section separator lframes and safety connections for the wallsections rather than as structural support members.

The side plates 16 of the roof extend longitudinally of the car betweentheir end connections to the end posts 15 on either side for the lengthof the car and connect the outer ends of longitudinally spacedtransverse roof carlins 20. The inner ends of the carlins are secured toa longitudinally disposed T-member 21 which runs the entire length ofthe car between its end connections to the end walls. Suitable roofpaneling 22 is secured by the side plates, carlins and longitudinallydisposed T-member on either side of the car.

The longitudinally disposed T-member forms a top chord integral with thecenter sill structure which comprises a longitudinally disposed bottomchord 25 running end to end of the car and which takes the place of thenormally disposed center sill. It is connected to the topchord T-memberby a series of longitudinally spaced uprights 26 which arechannel-shaped in cross section, as best seen in FIGURES 3, 4, 6 and 7.The center sill structure or girder is reinforced =by similarlychannelshaped diagonals 27 extending between and connecting the topchord and bottom chord at the connecting points of the uprights yand thechords. A central wall section 28 may be secured to the webs of thechannel-shaped uprights and diagonals and in the car shown is a metalstructural member connected along its top edge to the longitudinallydisposed T-menrber and along its bottom edge to a longitudinallydisposed angle member 29 which is in turn secured by its horizontal legto the top surface of the bottom chord.

The bottom chord, as in a usual center sill construction, is made up oftwo opposing Z-members connected along their top horizontal leg edgesand forming outwardly extending flanges 25a with their bottom horizontallegs. In the right hand lower corner of FIGURE 6 it is seen that in theend zones of the car pairs of stacked endwardly facing channel members30 form a portion of the body bolster and connect the sides and bottomanges of the bottom chord to the normally disposed side sills on eitherside of the car. The upper surface of the bolster, together with thenormally disposed side sills and end sill beams 82 (FIGURE 4), supportfloor plates 31 on either side of the center sill. These plates havetheir top surfaces lying in a plane commonwith the top'surface of thebottom chord of the center sill structure. The inner ends of the endzone oor plates are supported on the upper horizontal legs of endwardlyfacing channelshaped cross-tie members 32 extending transversely betweenand connecting the inner ends of the normally disposed side sills andthe upper sides of the bottom chord on either side of the car.

Short channel-shaped pieces 33 add support to the transverse cross-tiemembers 32 at their bottom chord connections and c onnect the inboardends of the transverse cross-tie members and the bottom flange of thebottom chord, as best seen in FIGURE 6. Gussets 34 reinforce the cornerconnection of the inner ends of the normally disposed side sills and theside posts 17a which extend downwardly to their connection with thelowered side sills 19. Throughout the central zone of the car a droppedfalse oor is provided and comprises oor paneling 35 secured at its sidesto lowered side sills 19. These side sills connect the longitudinallyspaced transverse cross-ties 37 at their ends and the bottom surfaces ofthese cross-ties provide further connection for the oor paneling. Asbest shown in FIGURES 3, 4, 6 and 7, the cross-ties 37 depend from andare connected to the bottom chord at their center portions by shortchannelshaped endwardly facing spacers 38 in order to provide more depthin the central zone lading space. Enclosure or partition plates 39extend between the lowered side sills land normally disposed side sills`at the ends of the central zone of the car. They extend inwardly fromtheir connections to the side sills on either side of the car to thebottom chord and bave their endwardly facing surfaces ush with the websof the transverse cross-ties 37, the spacers 38, the channel pieces 33and the cross-tie members 32. The plates extend upwardly and are securedto transversely disposed Z-members 40, laterally spaced on either sideof the center sill. These Z-members have their lower horizontal legsextending endwardly of the car over the top edge of the partition plate.Their ends connect side posts 17a and the top surface of the bottomchord on either side of the car.

The longitudinal spacing of the cross-tie members 37 in the central zoneof the car coincide with the spacing of the side posts 17 in order toprovide as much uninterrupted depth space as possible for the ladingsupported on the removable side Wall sections which will be framed foreand aft by the side posts.

Laterally extending diagonals 45 longitudinally spaced in the centralzone at the same intervals as the side posts and cross-ties 37 connectthe top chord of the center girder and lower sides of the car. FIGURE 3ashows the side connection of one of the diagonals where rivetsinterconnect the outer end of the cross-tie 37, the lower end of theside post 17 and the outer end of the diagonal.

The removable lading bearing side wall sections 13, 13a comprise a wallpanel 50, constructed, in this instance, of a solid light gauge steelsheet, reinforced by box girders 51 adjacent the panel ends and sides.FIGURE shows inwardly extending lading anchorage hooks 46 piercing thepanel and the box girders at their points of intersection and held inplace by nuts, one tightened by threaded engagement with the hook bodyagainst the lading bearing surface on the inside of the panel and onesimilarly tightened against the box girder structure on the outsidesurface thereof. Four hooks are provided for each section, as indicatedin FIGURES 3 and 5, for anchoring an automobile body. `Guide strips 81are provided -along the inner surface sides to assist in positioning thesections when loading the car. The automobile bodies 55, illustratedthroughout the drawings in dotted 4 lines, comprise the body structureextending from the rear of the automobile to its firel wall.

Longitudinally spaced pairs of vertically slotted brackets 6) secured tothe normal and lowered side sills provide support for `longitudinallyextending trunnion bars 61 secured adjacent the bottom edge of each WallSection. An angle piece 62 extends along and is secured by its verticalleg to the outer surface of the top edge of each panel with itshorizontal leg abutting the top ends of the vertically disposed boxgirders. The edge of the vertical leg of the angle piece is made to liein a plane common with the top edge of the panel.V When a wall sectionis in place with the lower edge trunnion lowered into the bracket slots,the side portions of the panel inner surface lie flush against thelongitudinally extending ilanges or T-heads of the side framing doorposts while the bottom portion lies against its supporting side sill. Inthe end zones, the end portion of the inner surface of the panel liesflush against the web of the inwardly facing channel-shaped end post.The top portions of the wall sections in the central zone of the car lieagainst the side plates on either side of the car and in the end zones,lie against the turned in lower margin of the stationary portions 18 ofthe car sides as indicated in FIGURE 8. The body of the stationaryportions above the margin lie in the same plane as the panels of theremovable end zone Wall sections 13a.

In FIGURES 8 and 9 is seen the wall section latching features providedin the car shown. A latch projection 65 having a head with an outwardlyfacing bearing surface extending downwardly is secured adjacent theupper portion of the inner surface of the panel on either side thereof.The side and end posts provide openings 66 for the latch projections andwhen a wall section trunnion is lowered into the bracket slots thedownwardly extending bearing surface of each latch head engages theinner surface of the horizontally extending ange of the framing posts.These latch extensions provide restraint against lateral movement of thewall sections.

Vertical movement of the sections is restrained by finger latches 67longitudinally spaced along and bearingly secured to longitudinallyextending lock bars 68 positioned above the wall sections so that thenger projections assume a vertical position directly overlying thehorizontal legs of the top edge angle pieces 62 of the 'wall sectionsyand barely in contact therewith. A lock bar is, journaled for rotarymovement in lugs 69 attached to the side plates on either side of thecar in the central zone and, in each end zone, lugs `69a secured to thestationary wall portions on either side of the car similarly support yalock bar positioned aboveV the end zone removable wall section. Eachlock bar at one end connects links 70 operatively connecting verticalslide bars 7:1 journaled in brackets 72 vertically spaced along the endsof the side of the car and secured by the webs of the end posts. InFIGURE 1, it is seen that the car shown provides link connection to asingle vertical slide bar for an end zone lock bar and the central zonelock bar while link connection to a second slide bar positioned at theother end of the car is provided for the other end zone lock bar. Thearrangement of the bars is the same on the other side of the car.

As seen in FIGURE 8, the lower link of each double link connection ineach instance is pivotally attached to the slide bar while the upperlink is fastened to the lock bar. The connection between the joiningends of the upper and lower links is pivotal. As the pivotal connectionis outwardly offset from the longitudinal axis of the slide bars, thelifting of the slide bars effects a rotation of the lock bar andresultingly of the finger latches in a clockwise direction causing thenger to assume a substantially horizontal position as seen in FIGURE 3.This permits an operator to lift the wall section so that the latch headextension is moved up and ;out of the post slots 66 permitting arotation of the wall section trunnions in their bracket supports topivot the section in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 3.The section may then be removed with its lading secured to it and usedas an automobile skid or a lading pallet where other lading is beingunloaded. The reversed procedure brings the wall section into place forlocking by permitting the slide bars to drop to rotate the fingerlatches back to their vertical position over the angle piece at the topof the wall sections. The lower end of each slide bar is provided with aturned portion which lies longitudinally of the car, is slotted toreceive a bracket 75 having an aperture for a pin lock as best seen inFIGURES l and 8.

It is now clear that the railway car of the invention provides removablelading bearing side wall sections which are in turn capable ofperforming lthe function of lading pallets and in the railway car shownof automobile body skids. Because of this feature, the car has theadvantage of the easy and quick loading and unloading operation of aflat car and yet provides roofing and side wall protection againstweather and vandalism.

In the speciic embodiment described and as seen in FIGURE 2, tenautomobile bodies having their longitudinal axes lvertically orientedmay be carried in the central zone of the car which provides ladingspace well beneath the normal height of a floor supporting center sill.Four additional automobile bodies are carried over the trucks with theirlongitudinal axes horizontally oriented `but still utilizing theremovable skid or wall sections having their longitudinal axes similarlyhorizontally disposed.

As the weight of the lading is carried by the sides of the car, there isprovided a center sill carrying structure which enables the transmissionof the lading Weight from the sides as well as the provision of a roof.This Weight transmitting feature is accomplished by the laterally eX-tending diagonals connecting the sides of the car to the center girderstructure. In the car described the center girder is shown with a centerwall section 28 as an integral wall structure but obviously any suitableopen-work girder or truss structure may be employed. The positioning ofthese diagonals has a further advantage in that the 1ongitudinal torsionloads created in the car in transit are directed from the underframe tothe center girder.

Those skilled in the art will be able to utilize the present inventionin various ways and it is not meant to limit the scope and spirit of theinvention to the specic embodiment described `and shown. The spirit andscope of the invention is limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway car comprising, an underframe, a skeleton superstructurecarried by the underframe, a plurality of bodily removable side wallsection carried by the skeleton superstructure, said sections forminglading pallets and having means for supporting and carrying ladingsecured thereto, 4and means for detachably supporting said side wallsections on said sides.

2. In -a railway car the combination of a truck mounted body comprisingskeleton sides, longitudinally spaced transverse members connecting thesides, a longitudinally and centrally disposed upwardly extending centergirder, said transverse members being positioned below `and dependingfrom said girder, a roof supported by said center girder in upwardlyspaced relation to said members, and a plurality of removable side wallsections supported by said skeleton sides and forming lading palletshaving means for supporting and carrying lading secured thereto.

3. The railway car of claim 2 wherein means are provided connecting saidskeleton sides and said center girder for transmitting lading weightfrom said side wall sections to said girder.

4. The railway car of claim 3 wherein said means includes diagonalsconnecting said skeleton sides to said center girder adjacent said roof.

5. In a railway car body, the combination of, a deep central girderstructure having an undersurface and sup ported at its ends by trucks,longitudinally disposed side sills extending in vertical planestransversely spaced on either side of said central girder structure,longitudinally spaced transverse members connecting said side sills andcentral girder, said transverse members being connected at their centerportions to the undersurface of said deep central girder structure, saiddeep central girder structure extending upwardly above said sills andtransverse members, a roof connected to and supported by said centralgirder, longitudinally disposed side plates formed as part of the roofand extending substantially in the same vertical planes as said sidesills, a plurality of removable side wall sections supported by thebody, said sections forming lading pallets having means for supportingand carrying lading secured thereto, and means detachably securing saidsections -to said side plates Iand side sills.

6. The railway car body of claim 5 wherein means connect the outer endsof said `transverse members and the upper portion of said deep centralgirder structure for transmitting lading weight to said deep centralgirder structure.

7. A railway car comprising an underframe having longitudinally spacedtransverse members connected at their ends by longitudinally disposedsides extending in vertical planes transversely spaced on either side ofsaid car, a longitudinally extending girder centrally disposed andsupported at its ends by trucks, said transverse members depending fromsaid center girder by means of spacer elements for deepening the ladingspace above said members, said girder extending vertically upward, aroof supported by said center girder and including longitudinallydisposed side plates extending in vertical planes common with saidsides, vertical side post frame elements spaced longitudinally at thesame intervals as said longitudinally spaced transverse members andconnecting said sides and side plates, removable side wall sectionsforming lading pallets each having an inner surface and means forcarrying lading secured thereto, said wall sections having upper, lowerand side margins, said inner surface at said margins being in flushcontact with said side plates, said sides and said post `framingelements -when said wall sections are supoprted by said sides, means onsaid sides complementary to means on said lower margin of said wallsections for removably supporting said sections, means on `said carcomplementary to means on said wall sections for restraining verticaland lateral movement thereof and means connecting said sides and saidgirder for transmitting lading weight to said girder, said lastmentioned means transmitting longitudinal torsion loads to said girderwhen said car is in transit.

8. A lading pallet for attaching to a side of an open skeleton railwaycar and forming a removable side wall section covering and closing anopening therein, said pallet comprising a solid panel having means forcarrying lading secured thereto, said solid panel having marginsdefining an area complementary to the opening in the skeleton side ofthe railway car, and means on said panel for removably connecting saidpanel to the skeleton side of the railway car to close the opening.

9. The lading pallet of clairn 8 wherein said last mentioned meansinclude rst means secured to one of said margins for detachableconnection to complementary means on the railway car for vertical loadsupport of said pallet thereon, and second means secured to said palletfor detachable connection to complementary means on the railway car forretaining said pallet against the skeleton side o f said car to closethe same during transit.

10. A truck mounted railway car having an underframe, skeleton sides, aroof supported by said underframe, said roof and underframe deiiningvertically spaced upper and lower margins of car side openings, aplurality of removable side wall sections adapted to close saidopenings, said sections forming lading pallets, means on said palletsfor carrying and supporting lading secured thereto `and havingvertically spaced upper and lowerV margins complementary to said upperand lower margins of said car side openings to close the same, and meansat the lower margins of said sections and engaging complementary meanscarried by sa-id underframe for removably supporting said palletsections on the car.

11. The method of loading a railway car comprising, xing the lading to asurface of a solid lading pallet, removably securing said pallet;V to ,aside of the car with said surface and lading facing inwardly, fasteningsaid pallet to the car with the other surface of the pallet facingoutwardly of the car to form a weather proof lading carrying side wallfor the car.

12. A railway car body having an underframe, side sections verticallyoriented and removably attached to the underframe, said side sectionsforming lading pallets, means 7att-ached to said pallets for carryinglading thereon, said side sections having lower margins, trunnions`attached thereto, bracket means attached to said under- Y 8 frame andhaving open topped vertical slots receiving said trunnions andsupporting the same therein, and stop means provided on said car bodylimiting vertical and lateral movement of said. sections when saidtrunnions are supported in said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS626,535 `Gradlmiller `Tune 6, 1899 1,418,634 Fife June 6, 1922 1,519,319Manning Dec. 16, 1924 1,788,667 lFriedlaender Jan. 13, 1931 2,083,553Blomberg June 15, 1937 2,320,216 Brister May 25, 1943 2,333,441 Rearwinet al. Nov. 2, 1943 2,756,694 Wardein July 31, 1956 2,783,718 CheshireMar. 5 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany `luly 28,

